Timber is a material commonly used throughout a property. Acting as an important structural component, wood can be susceptible to several different issues.

It is important that structural wood components are looked after well and treated promptly when there are issues. Failing to deal with dry rot, wet rot and woodworm can lead to weaknesses that can be difficult and more expensive to rectify in the longer term.

Dry Rot Services

Dry rot in timber is caused by certain a species of fungi that infects and digests parts of the wood that give it its strength and stiffness. Affected timber can look dry and cracked, and in poor condition.

There are four stages to dry rot starting with a microscopic pore that if in a high enough concentration can resemble a fine, orange dust. With enough moisture present, they will grow into fine white strands known as hyphae. The third stage generates a large mass known as mycelium and finally, the fruiting body pumps new spores into the air.

Wet Rot Services

Wet rot is a general term applied to a different variety of wet rot fungicides that can infect wood. Like dry rot, the spores breakdown the parts of the timber structure that give it strength.

Wet rot is usually found in timbers in damp conditions such as basements and cellars, under floors and in skirting boards. It can also be found in roof trusses where there has been a leak over a period of time or wood is damp as a result of poor ventilation, preventing moist air from leaving the space.

Wet rot causes timber to darken and crack. It can look like dry rot but the treatment needed to deal with it is very different.

This is why calling the expert team at Biggs Pest, Damp & Timber is the ideal solution for any timber issue.

Woodworm

Woodworm is a pest that can affect any kind of wood that has a high enough moisture content. Left unchecked, an infestation causes damage that is expensive to rectify.

Woodworm can be hard to spot. Tell-tale signs include a fine dust and tiny, pin prick holes in the wood.

Woodworm is a beetle, usually the Common Furniture Beetle. Preferring slightly damper wood, the adult beetle will bore a small hole and lay its eggs inside. It is the emerging larvae that do the damage, creating a series of small holes as it leaves the wood to fly away.

There are times when customers have seen the adult beetle merging from the wood in late spring, unaware they had a problem!

Easily treated, it is important to bring in our professional team because the infestation can be larger than a woodworm in a rocking chair.

A large infestation can lead to wood becoming too weak to offer the support the item needs leading to sagging roofs and trusses buckle under the weight or collapsing chairs and furniture.

Treating the woodworm is only part of the solution. An important additional step is finding out why woodworm became a problem in the first place – and that means identifying why the wood is damp – and taking action.